BICOM

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition and Zionist Union party leader Isaac clashed during a fiery Knesset debate on incitement yesterday.

Herzog called on Netanyahu to explicitly “condemn the terrible and awful incitement against the president of the State of Israel.” Herzog was referring to the veiled threats and online incitement made towards President Reuven Rivlin following his appearance at a conference in New York, which also featured controversial pressure group Breaking the Silence (BtS). Viewed by some Israelis as subversive, BtS provides a platform for former-Israeli soldiers to anonymously provide testimony critical of IDF behaviour, which is widely published not only in Israel but also abroad.

Herzog said, “I demand that you… increase security for our president,” comparing the atmosphere to that which preceded the murder of former-Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin in 1995.

Netanyahu responded by saying, “I am opposed to any violent discourse about the president … But I will at the same time protect the right of each and every one of us to express his opinion.” He then challenged Herzog, saying, “I ask that you decisively condemn the Breaking the Silence organisation, which slanders the IDF and vilifies Israel.” Earlier this week, Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon banned BtS activities from army bases and facilities.

Netanyahu’s comments prompted cheers from some Knesset members, as did Herzog’s riposte, in which he said, “I am disgusted by these opinions [of BtS], but I will fight to allow people to say them.” Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein deemed the raucous atmosphere inappropriate and briefly paused the session.

Meanwhile, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, who did not attend the Knesset session, later condemned both Netanyahu and Herzog. He said that, “Herzog ought to support IDF soldiers instead of radical left-wing organisations,” while Netanyahu “cannot continue with his partial condemnations in order to pay lip service.”